Spanish prostitution goes online

Spanish prostitution goes online, University of Valencia

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A report by Antonio Ariño, Professor of Sociology at the University of Valencia (UV), says that in barely a decade Spanish prostitution has gone online with the familiar sight along the roadside fast disappearing.
The report titled Prostitution in the Valencian Community says that the internet has become the central place for the exchange of services and that in doing so had led to a reorganisation of industry practices, meeting places and times. The latter now concentrates on schedules and prior appointments rather than the spur of the moment sales that traditionally took place along the roadside.
Professor Ariño analysed nearly half a million prostitution advertisements on different websites scattered throughout the country, although there is a greater concentration in areas of the Mediterranean coast.
One of the newest phenomena is in what could be called sporadic or occasional, part-time prostitution. In internet advertisements, new languages ​​for the presentation of services are observed and physical characteristics are detailed, but above all, details of the list of services and rates.
The conclusion is that we are witnessing a reorganisation of the industry, as we are a normalisation of pornography and prostitution with the internet providing a form of implicit legalisation. Of concern is that the change is also leading to the exploitation of minors.
In addition, there are new forms of relationships (such as “webcaming” and avatar relationships in “Second Life”), and there is a growing interaction between prostitution and amateur or popular pornography. The report presents prostitution as an institution and system, with its internal organisation, as a novel approach, and also looks at the demand side, mostly men.
Whilst the report says what we all believed, prostitution has gone online, it has highlighted the implicit legalisation and the growing acceptance of pornography and the sale of sex gebnerally.


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Written by

Peter McLaren-Kennedy

Originally from South Africa, Peter is based on the Costa Blanca and is a web reporter for the Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

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